NASCAR Preseason Thunder provides varied opinions

RICK HOFF - Staff Writer

FONTANA -- The opinions were about 500 miles apart when it came
to the first full-throttle visit to California Speedway for
NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow.

"Everybody in the garage was pleasantly surprised at how wellthe car drives on the bigger tracks," said reigning Daytona 500champion Kevin Harvick following Thursday's first test session. "Ihave no issues."

The same can't be said for defending two-time series championJimmie Johnson.

"We haven't had any fun yet," Johnson said after his first runs
on the 2-mile oval. "It's been a pain in the butt, and we're still
searching. It's been a long morning.

"The car's not driving worth a damn."

Love it or hate it, the car referred to by Tony Stewart last
year as a "flying brick" is here to stay.

The car is in its third round of the NASCAR Preseason Thunder
test sessions, the first two of which were held at Daytona Beach (2
1/2 miles) and Las Vegas (1 1/2 miles). It will make its California
Speedway racing debut Feb. 24 in the Auto Club 500.

"Las Vegas put a lot of questions behind everybody," said
Harvick, a Southland favorite from Bakersfield.

"But set-up wise, it's substantially different here, where it's
all about handling and maximum downforce."

It was that front-end downforce that seemed to have Johnson and
his Lowe's Chevrolet team baffled.

"The aero balance is the thing we're struggling with the most,"
said Johnson, another local favorite from El Cajon. "The way we
used to build bodies on our old cars, we had a lot more front
downforce. Now, with the wing on the car, and the fenders placed
the way they are, we have very, very little front downforce."

Wings have replaced rear-end spoilers on NASCAR's latest
machines, and another addition borrowed from the world of
sports-car racing is the front-end splitter, a molded-fabric
construction that can be adjusted four-to-six inches depending on
track conditions.

"The splitter hits the race track every lap somewhere," Johnson
said. "It's very tough to know the right height. The challenge is
to keep the car off the ground."

Johnson was more than a second off Hamlin's lead pace, well back
in the pack at 177.940 mph. The Lowe's team improved to 178.483 mph
in the afternoon session, when Gordon was the only driver to dip
under 40 seconds at 180.505 mph, the only afternoon speed over
180.

With the current cars more similar in design and specifications,
the smallest adjustments can make the biggest difference.

"It's not the classic set-up any more," said Carl Edwards, whodrove a Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion to a top-10 run in themorning session at 180.496 mph. "The amount you adjust the car ismuch smaller than it has been. You have to be perfect.

"But if the cars are more the same, I believe that opens it up
for the driver to make more of a difference."

One issue that everyone seems to be in agreement on is the
improvements made in the area of driver comfort and safety.

"When you get in and out of these cars, you understand the
biggest reason that we did all this car swap stuff was for safety,"
Harvick said. "It has to be applauded just for the fact that the
safety side is tremendously better just because the drivers are
more comfortable in the cars. We're able to get in and out of them
easier."

The driver's seat has been moved four inches toward the center
of the car, and the roof height was increased 2 1/2 inches.

But the true measuring stick for the new car's popularity will
come after it has been raced on each of NASCAR's tracks, from the
half-mile short tracks to the 2 1/2-mile super speedways.

"The cars haven't driven bad anywhere," Harvick said. "I think
the track will dictate what the style of racing will be.

"There's still going to be an element of surprise as we get into
the races, things that you didn't run across at the test."

Testing continues today from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Admission
is free to the grandstand or $5 to the infield seats.